Amazon’s New Healthcare Initiative
Amazon has merged its pay-per-visit telehealth service with its One Medical program into a single brand.
The company announced on June 27 that Amazon Clinic, introduced in 2022, has been renamed Amazon One Medical Pay-per-visit.
New Features and Benefits
With this rebranding, customers can now choose to pay per visit for over 30 common conditions or opt for a membership that offers on-demand virtual care and the ability to book same-day and next-day appointments at One Medical offices.
“It’s simply too hard to get the medical care you need, when you need it, and affordably — long waits, high costs, and impersonal care make it unnecessarily difficult for many patients today,” said Neil Lindsay, senior vice president of Amazon Health Services. “We’re focused on improving both the occasional and ongoing medical care experience.”
Cost and Accessibility
Amazon One Medical Pay-per-visit offers lower per-visit pricing and fewer steps to start an appointment. Messaging visits cost $29, while video visits are $49. Customers pay for care as needed, with no insurance required or accepted.
This initiative comes as consumers face numerous financial barriers to obtaining healthcare. For example, research from PYMNTS Intelligence’s 2024 Women’s Wellness Index Report shows that 10% of American women cannot make their doctor appointments due to lack of transportation.
Addressing Healthcare Challenges
“A multitude of health-related issues can cascade from there,” PYMNTS wrote. “Women who lack reliable transportation are 17% less likely to get preventive medical care. Compared to those with access to transportation, they are also 78% more likely to postpone medical care until a problem arises and nearly twice as likely to neglect dental care until a problem occurs.”
However, this data does not imply that women in the U.S. are neglecting their healthcare. The report also found that women are 11% more likely than men to research their health and wellness and 19% more likely to understand how to find the best wellness providers.
Financial Transparency
PYMNTS recently spoke with Synchrony General Manager of Wellness Claude Royster, who mentioned that many families delay or avoid medical care because they don’t understand their financial options, leading to worsened health outcomes and higher costs in the long run.
“The patient wants transparency,” Royster said. “They want to understand what it is going to cost to get the care that they need — so it is very important that health systems and insurers provide, transparently, what their costs are.”
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